| Listen. This is vitally important. If you do | | | | no music day. When you come back to your work |
| not listen then your track will be very poor | | | | you will be refreshed, your ears will be |
| indeed. Listening is what most musicians have | | | | willing to take a pounding and you will |
| forgot to do and that is why we do not hear | | | | listen to your music differently, tagging |
| from them again. They have lost their roots, | | | | pieces that don't fit, sounding strange or |
| what ultimately made them famous. Trying to | | | | having a better idea to implement.Listen to |
| move away from your group roots is very | | | | the worst music. Now this isn't an exercise |
| risky. The Prodigy made fantastic rave and | | | | of laughing at poor techno, but it is to |
| deep techno, then starting to go into a rock | | | | train you to what is poor and what is good. |
| phase. It didn't work out too well, now they | | | | For an example, if I sat in any Ferarri I |
| are trying to get back into their old | | | | would think it is pretty cool, but top motor |
| territory but its hard. Their fan-base has | | | | journalists would always give a downside, |
| shrunk as new groups have come up. The | | | | will always compare it to something else. |
| Prodigy are now releasing their classic hits | | | | Why? Because they have sat in poor cars and |
| to try and re-energise themselves to grab | | | | they have sat in the best, now they have a |
| back their old fans, telling them "remember | | | | scale to use to judge any car. This is what |
| this, you liked it and now we are going to do | | | | you need to do. How do you know a good song |
| the same".Alot of money spent, alot of | | | | is a good song? Subliminaly you |
| marketing time used. With example 2, Elton | | | | cross-reference it with something poor. But |
| John has constantly chirped out piano tunes | | | | instead of doing it in the back of your mind, |
| for along time now, always variation on the | | | | dig out the poor songs and (unfortunatley) |
| same theme and he is still lasting the | | | | listen to them. Another example. I have seen |
| time.Listening to your audience, your | | | | on some websites they give away cassettes of |
| dedicated audience (that will buy from you | | | | their work. I know that this is poor practise |
| regularly) is the life-line to your selling. | | | | because I have seen MP3s being offered for |
| Go off-track and some will not like it but | | | | download (quicker, free and better |
| then again you might attract some new | | | | quality).Listen to other styles. This may be |
| customers. For me, I would stick to what you | | | | tringgering the "what is he talking about" |
| know, you are good at it so why change? Sure | | | | response, but hold with me. On my site I have |
| re-invent yourself or adapt to the ever | | | | demonstrated a fundamental fact through alot |
| changing music market, but never change | | | | of top techno acts. They all have elements of |
| style. Case in point. Kyle, pop queen and the | | | | different styles interwound within their own. |
| lady who brought us the Locomotion and I | | | | For example, The Shamen and The Prodigy have |
| should Be So Lucky. But instead of keeping | | | | most noticable rock influences. The great |
| with cheesy pop she has slowly re-invented | | | | thing about rock is that there is only a few |
| herself- pinnicling at Can't Get Your Out Of | | | | things that you can do with an electic |
| My Head. Same pop, but with 21st Century | | | | guitar. So their tracks have to be really |
| twist.Listening also means you should listen | | | | catchy, employing good lyrics, cool bass and |
| to other tracks, go to concerts, clubs, | | | | hookable leads. It is no wonder then that |
| wherever they play your music. DJs are | | | | other artists from other styles look to rock |
| always, and have to be, up-to-date with | | | | as an influence. If I was into ambient music, |
| "whats hot and whats not". They listen to | | | | I would listen to classical music for |
| their audience, and they know sure well that | | | | inspiration. Both are similar to each other |
| if they get it wrong they either won't work | | | | in that they have long sweeps and can go on |
| again or they will get booed at!Listen to | | | | for a while but still sound fresh, evolving, |
| other peoples comments. I had a real hard | | | | and can still use hooks. Classical music has |
| time listening to other people rip my music | | | | been an influence for William Orbit (helped |
| apart but I realised it was for the best. You | | | | Madonna with her Ray of Light CD, including |
| must make sure that the people who listen to | | | | that cool track Frozen), and he technoified |
| your music is your sudience. If you do Drum | | | | Barbers Adaigo for Strings, a cool classical |
| and Bass and give a track to your | | | | track in itself and was brought into the |
| grandparents to hear they might not like it. | | | | light when it was played in Platoon.Finally |
| Playing a track to your friends of similar | | | | Listen to yourself. Why did you make the |
| style liking, or a group of people is much | | | | track in the first place? Were you going to |
| better. A group increases the reliability of | | | | build it up into a cool chorus, or was there |
| your "little study into your tracks", more | | | | an idea that you wanted to tinker around with |
| people increases the reliability and gives | | | | that sounded really cool? Not knowing where |
| you a better opinion of how your tracks will | | | | the track is going, not seeing the light at |
| be accepted. If one person says "ohh I didnt | | | | the end of the tracks tunnel, or the loops |
| like that sample" keep it in mind, but if | | | | are just not sitting right can have a |
| alot of people say the same, change the | | | | negative effect on your confidence and moral. |
| sample. It is a rare oportuinity to see how | | | | Write down what you would like to see from |
| your audience will react to your tracks, in | | | | this track. Maybe even before you start get |
| the real world your sales would reduce, and | | | | all the basic loops, or downloading website |
| you would just scratch your head wondering | | | | names all collected before setting off. If |
| why.Listen to the best in the genre. If you | | | | the track is just a notepad, make it so, |
| want to know what excellent and top techno | | | | don't spend too much time on something that |
| tracks sound like ask your target audience | | | | is just a sketch pad. If it doen't work, |
| who their top artists are, sometimes you | | | | fine, but why, if you have no joy, leave it. |
| might get inspiration from artists that you | | | | Go back to it later on, don't make yourself |
| haven't heard from before, then surround | | | | too angry or involved in something that can |
| yourself with the tracks. Listen to the | | | | have a nehgative impact on all your techno |
| tracks and bathe in their coolness.Listening | | | | making.Dominic Hough has made music for over |
| can sometimes mean not to listen. Sounds | | | | 18 years. On his site Make your own Dance and |
| strange I know. But if you have been | | | | Techno he has proved that you can make, and |
| listening to your tracks day in day out, then | | | | market your own techno songs for free. His |
| listen to other peoples tracks, you can get a | | | | site also covers sampling, MP3s, loops and |
| bit bored, tired, and to a point the tracks | | | | much more. |
| get samey. Have a day out in the week for a | | | | |